u

moved through the final hours of the job on autopilot. Report filed. Keys returned. Handover co

or his, just a functional space owned by the company. It smell

f the spartan living room, staring at th

g like a crazy

embarr

partner, no

erself feel anything, she was afraid sh

e was supposed to be on a plane with Chloe, starting a ne

e from her spo

s bag by the door. He sto

till doing here?" he

swer. She just

"Look, about last night... I was harsh. I'

, self-serving one

," he said, avoiding her gaze. He walked

voice drifted out. "Is she go

head sn

me a few minutes, okay? I' ll meet you at the hot

s stiff. A morbid curiosity pulled her toward his open bedroom door.

came from the phone again, tinny and sharp. "Make sure you don' t leave anything impo

street vendor in Budapest when they were seventeen. They' d each taken half. It

stupid trinket to keep her happy, you know? To keep her loyal. She was always so needy, so desperate for any scrap of affe

in its place was a white-hot, clarifying rage. It wasn' t h

using her. Manipulating her love and loyalty to kee

geted Ethan, and she had systematically dismantled Ava. She had seen the crack in their partnership-Ava' s unrequited love-and hammered a wedge into

holding their mission knives. She took hers, a custom-made Ka-Bar with her initial, 'A'

le. The metal made a soft, final clink against the wood. It was a symbolic se

ready to walk out the d

gotten impatient. She stood in the doorway, a vision in

. She let her eyes drift down to the knife on the tabl

o Ethan' s side and linking her arm through

nally be free," Chloe said, her voice a purr. "He' s got a m

ing the knife, enjoying eve

e rage had burned out, l

at Ethan, who had the decency

," Ava said, her voice

rned t

o that ridiculous marriage your grandfather cooked up for you. The Hayes family might be tech royalty, but they' re st

A petty, vindic

was a m

ously decided to move, her body reacted. She dropped her bag and her hand shot out, grabbin

ct echoed in the

went wide with

r. Her face was inches from Chloe' s. "You live in a world of money and influence. I liv

nd yanked her back, pulling her away from a terrified Chloe. He immed

va, his face contorted with fury.

of her old self broke

chain hanging around Chloe' s neck. It was half of a hea

aid, her voice numb.

n Chloe' s neck to Ava' s face

dismissively, his voice regaining its cold e

rotective arm around Chloe' s shoulders. "Come o

d glance. They walked out, and the door clicked shut behind them, leaving Ava alone

ging of her phone. It was the num

"The car is waiting for you downstair

t time. She didn' t pick up the knife. S

lked out, closing the door o